


My Souls a Wasteland

by orphan_account



Category: Fallout 3, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: And sans is a perv, Brotherhood of Steel - Freeform, Capital Wasteland, Cuddling, Dadster, F/F, F/M, FLOWEY AND SANS, Fallout three not four, Find that dad!, Flowey is your friend, Gaster isnt evil, Gaster later, Gfdi moriarty, Gore, Gruff sans, Mettaton and paps, More tags to be added, Multi, Not in this fanfic, Paps is mean to sans at the start, Papyrus is A BADASS, Poor Sans, Reader and sans - Freeform, Sans gets smashed, Some sexual stuff because of mettaton, Spoilers for fallout 3, Super Mutants, That darned vault, Violence, Would you even have time for that here?, jackets, probably no smut, sans and that jacket
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 15:01:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7057249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The monsters fought hard to live on the surface. It was their only hope, the thing that made them wake up every morning. Too bad the humans have already destroyed it. You have just escaped from vault 101, the only home you have ever known to search for a father who's disappeared, when you find out that humans arnt the only ones who are fighting for a place in this broken world. Robots with souls, lizard monsters, walking skeletons... what has this world come to? Not to mention your father seems to be tangled up in something bigger than both of you. When a monster with a sharp toothed grin proves that maybe this world isn't hopless after all, you are left to question everything. Or at least, everything but his love. -hiatus-</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. War never changes

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, it's your author! Woo hoo, my first fic! After binge playing fallout three for three days straight (because it was the cheapest game at the store) i decided HEY . LETS PUT TWO OBSESSIONS INTO ONE THING!!!! and because I'm totally sans trash I thought...whats better than traveling a sweltering wasteland with our favorite two edge Lords, flowey and sans??!!!!! You star in this story, as a wanderer and healer of the wastes. So go forth my good child, escape that vault, search for that missing dad, and SMOOCH THAT SKELE!!! (Possible slow updates, but it will be worth it!)  
> EA  
> PS I know that there is an actual wasteland fell Tumblr but tats not me. You should look it up, it's great, but my take on wastelandfell is a different story then the actual Tumblr writer so I'm not taking any of her credit. Sans paps met and everyone else will have original designs weapons and back stories so I just wanted to make everyone sure that I'm not like, taking anyone's stuff okay? Tnx  
> Edit edit: so in order for this to be top notch I gotta go on hiatus and explore all over the fallout world like I did in Skyrim. I am so sorry. But in other news im working on another fic this one a Skyrim crossover cause I know the world better thank you!!

in the year 2077, everything changed. The power that gave the whole world light turned on its creators, laying waste to everything in its path and leaving it's ravaged victims irradiated and unable to support life. Humanity was crippled, society crumbled, and man was terrified for its very existence. However, it wasn't the end of the world as many had predicted, just another bloody chapter in humanity's long and torn life on earth. However, we were not alone. While thousands were spared in the Vaults, even more were spared underground, monsters that held the surface in their dreams and hearts. When they managed to tear down the barriers that had kept them from their goals and hopes, they found the world they wanted was not the world they got. Monsters found terror in every aspect of this new world, from the unforgiving wastes, to the inedible growths, to the humans themselves. Man saw these monsters as servants, creatures to bow to their whims and needs however human they seemed. For a brief amount of time, monsters rebelled against the surface dwellers, fueled by pride and hate. But man persevered through sheer determination and forced monsters to kneel before them a second time. And so a new dawn shined for humanity, as the sun set for monsters who had barely tasted what freedom had to offer. Two hundred years later, a child was born into this harsh world. Vault 101 had long sealed its doors to this awful land, and it is here you were brought into being, far underground and far from the horrors of the surface. And it is here in this stony prison that you will perish, because in vault 101 no one ever leaves.


	2. Once upon a time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes a minute to pick up, but once the whirlwind begins it doesn't end. (Aka: ain't no party like a sans party cause a sans party dont stop!) Oh reader, do you find yourself dying a crunk ton? Then get yourseld some Sans-screen, it keeps away the risks of dying!

The doctor loomed over his patient, the sounds of monitors and heart regulators clashing to form an orchestra in the tiny hospital room. But the doctor couldn't focus on the noises or the frivolous activities that swirled and seemed to fade around him, the only thing he could register was the woman under him, swollen with child and whimpering with pain. After what seemed like an eternity, a new sound joined the orchestra of the room, the tiny cries of a new child.

"Oh, James, we did it...their beautiful..." the woman breathed, her eyes following the child that was now being cleaned and wiped by the doctor that was also their father.

"Yes...a precious little one..." the doctor agreed, brushing his knuckles over the baby's chubby red cheeks. He sighed in content, wiping the beads of sweat that had formed off his forehead. "Welcome to the world sweetheart, i'm your Daddy! Catherine, look at our new-"

The woman gave a sharp cry, the moniters around her picking up incredible pace. "James, James something's wrong, I-" 

The doctor hastily placed his child in the arms of one of the nurses, running to his wife's side. 

"She's going into cardiac arrest! Start the chest compressions, and get the baby out of here!" He ordered as the nurse hurried out of the room. The monitors screamed, and fell dead silent.

~~~~

It rose out of the distance like a monolith of achievement, it's great steel walls jutting out of the otherwise flat desert terrain. Your boots pressed deep into the sand as the harsh sun beat down upon your neck, and you found yourself wondering what had just happened.

It had all occurred so suddenly, your father's disappearance, the Overseer's treachery, blood spilled everywhere on monotone grey tiles. You had fled, but to a world you were not part of and didn't understand. 

You knew one thing. You had to find your father. He had left you so abruptly, as if he had never been there in the first place. But your thoughts were scattered as you walked, towards the only thing you could see, and the only thing you knew. 

Civilization, you were sure of it. Even from here, you could hear the sounds of people in the distance, radiating from the great iron metropolis. Every bone in your body ached as you trudged across the wasted terra, the tattered Vault jumpsuit offering you little protection from the nightmarish desert. 

You breathed in the scalding air as you lirched towards the gates. The city before you bustled with sound and noise, and you were grateful when the robot beside you spoke.

"Welcome to Megaton, Partner, the bomb is perfectly safe. We promise."

~~~~

"Jesus Christ Simms, how do you expect me to fix this?" 

"Come on, doc, the poor kid looks like hammered shit. Can't you just cut em some slack?"

"And waste good supplies on a stranger for no caps? I'm not a saint, Lucas, I gotta eat too."

"Your damn right you're no saint. Here, will this be enough?" 

The clinking of metal. A cool hand.

"Hmph, fine. But I'm not giving em a place to stay. They're gonna have to find they're own bed tonight."

"Whatever Church, just make sure they don't die."

"Well, kid, you got pretty damn lucky. Hope you aren't awake for this..."

Pain.

~~~~

You wake up on a matress, the hard springs under you digging into your sensitive skin. Everything hurts, from your toes to your face. You gently test your fingers, and when they dont fall off you try and sit up. 

It's like someone's pouring liquid metal into your brain, instant regret washing over you like a tidal wave. 

"Jesus Christ-" you bite out, your tounge numb and dry. 

"Whoa, kiddo, don't try and rush anything. You had bullet holes in your bullet holes and bruises the size of Moriarty's ego." Comes a voice, garbled and rough like a garbage disposal. You look up, and nearly scream at the face that greets you.

What your assuming is a man, looks like his face has been melted off, patch work pieces of skin and muscle dripping of his skull while small tufts of hair droop from his scalp. You bite back a scream, pulling back from his touch and squeezing your eyes shut. Your sure this is a nightmare, and your going to wake back up any minute in the...

The vault! The events from yesterday flood your mind. You remember being shook awake by Amata, hastily running through the grey halls, finding Jonas' s broken form crumpled on the ground in a pool of crimson. You muffle a sob as the creature shakes his head sadly. 

"Thats right...your from the vault...shit, sorry I scared you, pal, but out here in the Wasteland...there are worse things than me."


	3. Bones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus is loud. Sans is angry. What's new? Plus, thanks for all the early support, y'all make me wanna do good for you! Btw, I will most likely always be editing and refining my work, but ill tell you if I made any major changes  
> EA  
> Ps give me feedback in the comments, I want you readers to have a say in the goings on of MSAW

"What ARE you?" You breath, your heart racing. The...thing sighs, pulling up a stool and sitting with his hands folded over his lap. He gazes at you balefully, his eyes brown disks sitting on sickly yellow sceleras. 

"Ah, jeez, you've probably never seen a ghoul, have you? Sorry kid, I know I'm not exactly a sight for sore eyes. The name's Gob, and im what you smoothskins call a 'Ghoul'." You notice he has no nose, only a mutilated cavity where it would have been. "Uh, I've been out in radiation so much I've turned into-" he gestures to himself, his arms the same melted patchwork as his face. "This."

You eye him dubiously, and then slightly relax. Your father always said that knowing about something always lessens the fear surrounding it. Tears prick at your eyes at the thought of your father.

"Oh god, kid, please don't cry!" Gob says frantically, obviously unsettled by your tears. "Shit, if I bother you that much I'll just leave!"

"W-wait, It's not you, it's just..." you try to squeeze out some words, but your throat starts to clench. Gob offers you a bottle of brownish water, and you take it and drink, grimacing at the foul taste.

"Simms told us you came from on of those vaults. You look pretty chewed up, so my guess is somethin' real bad happened down there..." Gob says gently, eyeing the gauze wrapped tightly around your wrist. You nodded, hot tears making trails down your face.

"Hey, I've lost my home too." Said the ghoul, catching your attention. You wiped your cheek, sniffing in deeply and letting Gob continue.

"Uh huh, I come from a place called D.C. where a bunch of folks like me bunch together. I left to find fortune, but I guess fates had other plans-"

Gob is cut off by the long squeal of a metal doorhinge and a man's face peaking out from the shadows, his small eyes glittering coldly. 

"Ah! So our guest finally decides to open their eyes! Well sleepin' beauty, sorry you had to deal with the zombie over here, I'm sure he gave you quite a scare!" 

His voice is different than most, turning up at strange intervals and pronouncing words oddly. He is a tall man, with shiny ginger hair pulled back in a small ponytail. He wears rather nice clothes compared to Gob's rags and seems to look at you like he's deciding your worth. You automatically frown when Gob lets out a pained noise, flinching away from the man who gives a hearty chuckle. 

"Who're you?" You say, low and gravely. 

"Colin Moriarty, at your service! And this is my saloon that your stayin' in! Seeing as to how I so generously provided you a place to stay, I would suggest you cut that attitude, kiddo." He says cheerfully, but his eyes seem to glow with a cruel glint. 

"Mr. Moriarty, please-" Gob whispers, before Colin backhands him in the face.

"Can it stickyface, or I'll cut ya to pieces. You see, friend, I spent a nice amount of caps keeping this room rented out to you, so it would only be fair if you paid it back, yes? You're gonna be doing me favors for a very long time..." He cooed, wiping the hand he used to beat  
Gob on his pants. Your jaw drops, earning a very jovial look from Moriarty. 

"I don't think that's going to be necessary Colin."

Another person steps into the shack room, clad in a dusty trench coat and sheriff hat, his face the color of dark cocoa. 

"Ah, sheriff! I was wondering who was going to pay this stranger's rent!" Colin says pleasantly, clapping his hands together. "Two nights goes for a very modest three hundred caps. I was afraid our guest here was short on funds..."

The stranger rolls his eyes and pulls out a clanking and patched bag, depositing it into Moriarty's outstretched hand. 

"A pleasure doing business with you, Sheriff." He purrs, before strolling out of the room. This 'Sheriff' gives a very audible sigh before turing to you, his face softening. 

"Sorry newcomer, my name's Lucas Simms,Sheriff of this here place, and you're in a town called Megaton." He said, holding out his hand. You you took it, finding it rough. "Sorry about Moriarty, he's the kind of person that makes the Wasteland worse than it already is."

"I'm _____, nice to meet you Lucas." You said quietly, ignoring the pain in your wrists and fingers. Simms gave a grin.

"Huh, i guess politeness does still exist. I like you kid, we could use more people like you around."

You shook your head.

"I can't stay for long Sheriff, I'm looking for my father. Has anyone new passed through?" You asked hopefully. Simms nodded and your heart soared.

"Sure has kiddo, a man in his fifties rode on out not an hour before you arrived." He said thoughtfully, scratching his chin. 

"Of course, that would be just my luck." You muttered. Lucas gave you a sympathetic look.

"Hey, I know you just had pretty awful first impression of us, but you could try asking around town. Someone's got to have seen you dad." Lucas paused, giving you a smile. "Good luck kid, I hope you find him."

And with that, the sheriff left, the floor creaking under his heavy boots. Gob let out a breath, wrapping his arms around himself. 

"Are you okay?" You asked softly, the ghoul chuckling darkly.

"Don't loose any sleep over it smoothskin, happens all the time. Now are you feeling up to walking?" 

After a few minutes of getting you on your feet, you heard the distinct sound of shattering glass and Gob hissed in anger. Someone was laughing cruely while a deeper voice was letting out a rough string of curses. 

"Damn, you can't leave those idiots for two minutes!" Gob fumed. "_____, just stay here for a minute while I take care of this."

Gob eased you back on the matress and rushed down what sounded like a flight of stairs. From a distance you heard his garbled voice yelling at whoever was making a ruckus. 

You were frustrated. All the events leading up to this moment seemed to hit you like a train wreck.

you hated the feeling of weakness that plagued you, and you gritted your teeth at the pain you felt in your body. You could hear noises, voices yelling, and you were powerless to stop it. You were powerless to stop dad leaving, powerless to stop the Overseer, and powerless to make it through the Wasteland without that asshole Moriarty's help. You were so tired of being powerless, that you hadn't realized you were standing up all on your own. You looked down at your swaying legs and took a step forward. 

"I can at least do this!" You said, as you spurred yourself forward. You were doing well until you encountered the stairs and slipped right onto your butt, sliding down the steps on your ass.

That didn't go as planned, but no one noticed your eloquent descent down the stairs as everyone's attention was focused on the bar fight currently taking place. 

"Come on, bone boy!" Slurred an obviously drunk patron, as he pulled his fists into a sloppy offensive position. You could see the contempt on his face and the flush that spread across his cheeks. 

His opponent's face was turned from you, but you could tell that he was both extremely pale and very angry, as actual growls met the onlooker's tauntings. A deep red jacket was wrapped around his stocky frame with some sort of fur lining the hood that fell upon his back. Strapped around him were assorted belts and guns, spikes jutting from the bracers around his wrists.

"Oh, im going to have a great time with you, pal." He snarled, in the same deep voice you had heard earlier. A crimson light began to emanate from his white...

His white, skeletal,Flaming hands.

Your head spun. This guy had BONES for hands. No skin, no muscle, just bleached white bones. Getting a closer look at his head, you noticed it was the same stark white as his hands and your mind made the connection instantly. He was a skeleton. A literal, honest to god skeleton. 

Gob stepped in between the two of them, earning a hearty laugh from the human. 

"Your almost as bad almost as bad as the monster, Zombie. Now move before I have to kill your sick ass!" He barked, the bar patrons offering encouragements of violence. You noticed Moriarty standing in a corner, watching with an amused expression. He caught your gaze and wiggled his fingers in a wave, your hate for the barkeep only growing. 

You looked on in terror as a red glow enveloped Gob and lifted him into the air. The same glow seemed to originate from the skeletal hands of the the creature, and with a wave of said hand the ghoul was plopped into a chair over fifteen feet away. 

The skeleton wasn't so gentle with the other human. The glow suddenly ignited into burning flames, and it threw him right into a metal wall. 

"How do you like being a prick now, buddy? Or do I need to send you through it this time?" The monster yelled triumphantly, and slammed him into another wall. Some people around him cheered while others yelled threats.

"SANS, OH MY FUCKING GOD!!!" 

The loudest voice you have ever heard sliced through the rippling crowd. It pierced your ears, and you winced from the sheer volume of it. 

You knew that the skeleton facing away from yourself was, well, a skeleton, but nothing could have prepared you for the sight that was the voice's owner. You let you jaw drop in shock as a tall lanky form stalked into the saloon, clawed hands on its hip joints. 

It had what could best be described as a face, but somehow it differed from human skeleton's skull. Where there should have been teeth, there was a jagged maw of wolflike fangs pulled down in a contemptible scowl. You found yourself lost in it's eyesockets, endless pools of darkness with a single bloodred pupil that burned with rage. It wore a terrifying steel studded armor that branched off into thick shoulder guards, and on its thin legs were spiked leather pants. Black gloves and similar weathered combat boots covered the rest of his extremities. only non-black article on the skeleton was a torn red scarf, hastily tied around it's cervical vertebrae. 

"SANS YOU GOD DAMN FUCKING IDIOT! DO YOU LITERALLY WALK INTO PLACES AND BEG PITIFULLY ON THE GROUND FOR A FIGHT?! JESUS CHRIST ON A CANDLESTICK, THIS IS THE THIRTEENTH TIME THIS WEEK!!" It shrieked, your ears ringing from the pure fury that was this creature's voice. 

"Woah, papyrus, calm down-" the other tried to say, but was cut off almost instantly.  
"CALM DOWN?!? CALM DOWN?!?!" Papyrus's voice seemed to escalate with his temper. "SANS I AM PERFECTLY, ONE HUNDRED PERCENT CALM!!! YOU ARE THE ONE THAT ARE TAKING THE FLESH MONKEYS AND TOSSING THEM AROUND LIKE RAGDOLLS!!!!! HAS IT NOT OCCURED TO YOU THAT MAYBE WE ARE GOING TO FACE CONSEQUENCES FOR YOUR MORONIC DECISIONS??!" 

"Uh...yeah?"

Papyrus stomped a foot, pulling his scarf over his mouth and screaming. 

"NO YOU HAVEN'T, YOU STUPID BAG OF BONES, OR YOU WOULDN'T BE THROWING AROUND HUMANS!!!" 

Papyrus trudged over to the man 'Sans' had fought, picked him up by the shoulders, and set him on his feet. 

"I AM SORRY, PITIFUL HUMAN, THAT MY IDIOT BROTHER HAS TOSSED YOU ABOUT LIKE A SACK OF UNWANTED CHICKPEAS. HE IS RATHER DENSE, AND DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THAT ATTACKING YOU WILL LAND US BANNED FROM ALL CITIES EVER." 

The man was shivering by now, cowering into his own jacket. He nodded quickly and ran out the door, sobbing.

"NOW SANS, SAY SORRY TO ALL THESE IDIOT HUMANS AND WE WILL LEAVE. YOU ARE HEREBY GROUNDED FROM ALCOHOL FOR A WEEK."

For the first time, you caught a glimpse of the shorter skeleton's 'face'. It was very odd, and had the appearance of being on the plump side with soft round cheekbones. His teeth were ridiculously sharp as well, one of his fangs flashing a shimmering gold. He had similarly deep eyesockets, with hard burning red lights dead center in a sea of blackness. 

"I'm sorry humans." He grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets. Papyrus grabbed Sans' furred hood and dragged him out of the bar, the door closing behing them with an audible silence. 

"Jesus Christ." Someone said. You agreed.

You made your way over to Gob, Ignoring the pain in your legs, and asked him what the actual fuck just happened. 

"I wish you hadn't seen that." the ghoul sighs, giving you that same sad gaze. "I'd like for at least one person to think I'm capable. "

You frowned. "Gob, he used some sort of...magic on you. That's unfair to you and you know it."

"That was Sans and his brother Papyrus, two monsters that wander the wastes." Gob muttered, using a washcloth to scoop up broken glass. When you continued to give him a look of absolute confusion, he sighed and put down his work.

"You really don't know anything about the surface, do you?" The ghoul said, studying you closely. "I guess it's time you learned what happened while you were out"


	4. In a kingdom far away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The snas Times are upon us

"About a hundred years ago, people started to notice strange things crawling around in the wastes." Gob looks around nervously, searching for Moriarty or anyone else that would hurt him for stopping his chores. "You'd go out to scavenge and you'd see clawed footprints, or you'd realize that the Raiders were abandoning their bases. I mean, hell, there's always been shit in the wasteland no one expects, but people everywhere just started getting...antsy. It was like they knew something was up." 

The ghoul pauses for a minute, takes a shuddering breath, and then continues.

"I was there ya know. I may not be as old as some other ghouls, but I still remember when the monster king came out of the ground in D.C. All hell broke loose when they saw that guy, people just let out all the pent up tension. Even in the Underworld you could hear the screams from those poor monsters. Sometimes I still dream about the dust that covered the ground after the first massacre..."

Gob trailed off, his gaze searching for something he didn't find. Eventually it landed on you, his dark expression softening. 

"The worst part was when the Slavers came to pick up the pieces. They hauled off every monster that wasn't dead or about to be. For about two years the monsters tried to fight back, but I guess that first ordeal killed a lot of hope. Those guys, Sans and Papyrus, they're one of the lucky ones. They just showed up one day and... asserted themselves. The tall one usually has some junk they're looking to sell. Sans'll come in here to get drunk and Papyrus will show up and drag him out. Evry' one just tries not to pay too much attention to 'em." 

Once again Gob surveys the bar, looking from customer to customer and then back at you. Then he bends down under the counter and motions for you to give him your hand. You do, and he presses something cold and hard into your palm, standing up and running a wash cloth he retrieved over the metal counter.

"Ah geez," he says, a little too loudly. "Stupid washcloth." 

You look at the item he gave you and you're suprized to see a ten millimeter pistol, gleaming in the little light filtering through cracks in the shanty walls. Gob gives you a meaningful look, and brings you in close. 

"Look, kid, those monsters are a perfect example of people who ride into Megaton for a night, and then end up staying for the rest of their lives. Get out of here while you can... Your dad's heading to D.C." 

You look at the battered ghoul, your eyes beginning to water. 

"Thank you... I won't forget this." You whispered, clutching the gun to your chest. Gob made a noncommittal noise and turned away, but you could see a smile brighten his face.   
"Don't mention it, pal. But hey, if you ever happen to find yourself in the Underworld, tell Carol I said 'Hi'."   
~~~~  
You hauled ass out of Megaton, not because you wanted to, but because you knew you would end up staying. You remembered all too well the kind smiles of your fellow Vault 101 residents, easily mirrored by the soft-hearted attitudes of Gob and Lucas Simms. It wouldn't cost you much to put your old life aside, to work your way up in Megaton and earn your place in the city. 

But you couldn't. It would be the easy way out, but you knew the alternative would always grate on you. You would sit at that dead end bar and wonder what you could have become. The doors of the great iron city closed behind you with a long squeal, as your shoes sunk into the rough dust of the outside world. 

You had started a new life, yes, but not like anyone would have thought. You were different...stronger... DETERMINED.   
~~~~  
Sans drug a stone over the polished blade of his combat knife, the hangover blighting his judgment like hot needles digging into his skull. He studied his reflection in the cold steel, as gruesome and unsettling as ever, and stretched his usual sarcastic grin into something darker. The iron fang complemented his rugged aura quite nicely, and Sans let a dark chuckle emerge from deep within his ribcage. 

"AND WHAT ARE YOU GIGGLING ABOUT, BROTHER?" 

Sans winced at the venomous speech, pain erupting in his head as his brother stalked into Sans' darkened room. Papyrus' abnormaly loud voice was magnified tenfold by the hangover, like someone was screaming directly into Sans' metaphorical ears.

"God, Paps, not so loud please." Sans growled, putting down his knife to look pointedly at the taller skeleton. Papyrus responded with a malicious smirk.

"ARE YOU REGRETTING THE CONSUMPTION OF YOUR BELOVED DISTRACTION FLUID? I WOULD THINK BY NOW, A SMART SKELETON WOULD LEARN THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS IDIOTIC DECISIONS." 

Another hot rush of pain shot through Sans' head as Papyrus purposely raised his voice to an ungodly shriek. For a moment, Sans considered using the knife at his phalanges on Papyrus.

"BUT YOU ARE NOT EXACTLY A SMART SKELETON ARE YOU, SANS? I BET THE ALCOHOL YOU ARE SO FOND OF HAS DESTROYED WHAT LITTLE REASON YOU HAD TO BEGIN WITH."

Sans groaned, pressing his face into the cool weapons table and hiding his aching skull under his arms. 

"Yeah, sure boss, I'm an idiot. Now will you just get out of here?" Sans snapped, his whole body throbbing with pain. Papyrus was silent for a moment, and Sans could almost feel his gaze of hatred. 

"VERY WELL BROTHER, I WILL LEAVE YOU TO YOUR SELF PITY." Papyrus snarled, stomping out of the room. Sans felt tears of frustration well at his eyesockets, a pang of sadness tugging at his soul.   
~~~~  
The battlefield had a soothing effect on Sans. Maybe it was the adrenaline, or the life or death situation, but something about mortal peril made Sans a little feel a little less useless. The lazer rifle fit perfectly into Sans' phalanges as he lifted it to his sockets, aiming effortlessly into the sights and blasting the head clean off a Raider. Blood and lymph splattered on the chipped walls of the hideout, as Sans pumped his fist into the air, his victorious battle cry splitting the gunshot-ridden sky.

"Geeettttttt dunked on, motherfuckers!!!" He yowled, as Papyrus swung his super sledgehammer into the torso of an advancing Raider. The pitiful human gave a sharp cry and fell limp. 

"BROTHER, YOU CAN GLOAT WHEN WE HAVE KILLED EVERYONE, BUT UNTIL THEN REFRAIN FROM YOUR WASTEFUL SHOUTING!" Papyrus screamed over the noise. 

Sans snorted. "Ever heard of irony, bro?" He asked wryly, tearing an energy cell from his utility belt and jamming it into it's place in the gun. 

Papyrus responded with a grunt, as he pulled his favorite minigun from off his back. 

"STAND BACK BROTHER!" The taller skeleton ordered, squeezing it's trigger and allowing the weapon to hum to life. Sans complied, stepping back casually as bullets pounded into soft human flesh and tore through cobbled Raider armor. 

Papyrus joyfully wiped a smear of blood from his claws, basking in the destruction he had caused, not a single Raider spared from the gun's harsh judgment. 

"Jesus, that NEVER gets old!" Sans said, leering down at the broken bodies of those who dared get in his way. Papyrus offered a rare smile.

"INDEED, THE SCREAMS OF OUR ENEMIES SURELY RING FORTH FROM HELL!" he confirmed, giving his minigun a pat. Papyrus put the weapon back in it's holster, barely noticing the extra weight. "AND NOW WE ARE FREE TO STEAL WHAT WE WISH FROM THIS ESTABLISHMENT." 

Leave it to Paps to make everything sound complicated. Sans chuckled, keeping his own lazer rifle out, but lowered. 

"I'll take ammo and supplies." Sans called, his brother already making a bee-line for the food section. Those Raiders had been smart, making their base in an old grocery store. Plenty of places to keep useful items and lots of shelves for cover. Not like it helped in the end, but still clever. 

Sans hummed a tune as he skimmed over the Raider's supplies, grabbing Stimpaks, assorted medicines and loose bullets, kicking a severed head aside as he reached for a bottle of Buffout on a top shelf. But instead of the smooth plastic, his phalanges brushed across something warm and soft. His sockets widened as his own gaze met (e/c) orbs through the empty shelf.

Reflexively, Sans pulled back immediately, a scream pulled from his mouth. The other also screamed, the two light and deep tones overlapping one another as Sans pulled his gun up and shot randomly into the oppsite aisle. 

A scuttling noise was heard from the other side, along with a harsh yelp. 

"SANS, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!?!" Screeched a voice from across the store, easily identified as his brother.

"BRO, WE MISSED ONE!!" Sans yelled back, searching the opposing darkness for any signs of movement. When he found nothing, Sans tightened his grip around the rifle and began to slowly make his way around the aisles. Papyrus' bootsteps echoed throughout the building as Sans looked into the the sights of his gun. If the human was a Raider, it wasn't a very experienced one, as it wore next to no armor other than a brahmin-skin cloak around its delicate shoulders. It looked at Sans with an expression of fear and shock, (s/c) features glowing softly in the dim light. As humans went, it looked only half-starved, cheeks just beginning to sink in and eyes still bright and alert. Its   
(H/c) locks stuck to it's face in a matted and tangled mess, and it breathed in ragged pants. A small hole dug into its arm, crimson blood oozing trickling from the parts the lazer hadn't burned.

"Im not a Raider!" The human wheezed, fumbling at it's gun holster for a weapon. Sans grabbed hold of the gun with his magic and tossed it out of it's reach. 

"Don't give me that bullshit, Raider trash! Any last words, before I blast you into next week?"Sans barked, aiming his lazer rifle right at the human's head. Dispite his harsh words, something about this didn't feel right. The way the human was looking at him...it was like he had been here before. A sickening sense of deja-vu washed over Sans as Papyrus bounded over to his side.

"SANS, OH MY GOD, IS THAT ANOTHER RAIDER?" He growled, preparing his sledgehammer for destruction. Sans held out an arm, studying the cowering human. 

"Wait, paps, I think that's just a civilian." He not-so-quietly whispered to Papyrus. The skeleton loosened his grip on his weapon, but then regained his terrifying composure. 

"IF IT'S A CIVILIAN, THEN WHAT IS IT.DOING IN A RAIDER HIDEOUT?" Papyrus demanded, starring daggers at the human.

"I-i'm just trying to get supplies!" It sputtered, it's breathing ragged. 

"Wait, I can prove it! You were at Moriarty's bar yesterday, and t-then he came and drug you out!"

"THAT PROVES NOTHING,EVERYONE KNOWS OF SANS' FRIVOLOUS ACTIVITIES. NOW HOLD STILL SO I CAN ADEQUATELY CRUSH YOU."

"Paps, chill! Raiders don't come into the towns unless it's for...well raiding. As far as I know, Megaton was fine." Sans said, placing his phalanges on the sledge and immobilizing it. Papyrus scoffed. 

"LIKE THAT MATTERS. THE FILTHY THING COULD HAVE BEEN IN INCOGNITO, OR EVEN A SPY." He argued, narrowing his sockets at Sans. 

"You, kid, what are you doing outside of town-" Papyrus growled, cutting Sans off. Sans pinched the bridge of his nasal cavity. "If that's even where you came from." 

"Honest, I'm not a Raider. I... I followed you when I... realized how strong you guys were! Yeah, I just knew some strong monsters like you could take all those Raiders!" The human gave a weak smile as Papyrus snapped at the bait like a big drowsy mirelurk. He puffed out his chest and crossed his arms, raising his chin in a prideful sneer.

"WELL...OF COURSE YOU DID HUMAN! WEAKLINGS INSTINCTIVELY SEEK MY STRENGTH BOTH NEAR AND FAR! AND WHO AM I TO DISAPPOINT ONE OF MY MANY ADMIRERS? HUMAN, I AM THE TERRIFYING AND MERCILESS-" 

"Papyrus! Oh yeah, I know who you are!" The human chirps. Sans felt one of his bone brows raise. This kid caught on pretty quick. 

Papyrus seemed, for once, at a loss for words. He quickly grabbed Sans and pulled him to the side.

"SANS!" Papyrus whispered excitedly. "THIS HUMAN KNOWS WHO I AM!! WHAT DO I DO?!" 

Sans shrugged. So the human was going to live after all. "I don't know, bro, your the boss." 

"Excuse me, uh, terrible Papyrus, I'm kind of bleeding." The human said quietly. "You wouldn't happen to be as talented in healing as you would be at combat, would you?"

Papyrus looked offened.

"OF COURSE, TINY HUMAN! MY SKILL IN EVERYTHING IS UNMATCHED, AND MY EXPERT HEALING METHODS WOULD WORK EVEN ON A FRAIL BODY LIKE YOURS." Papyrus clumsily grabbed at one of his belts, finally grabbing at a row of hypodermic needles.   
"I HOPE YOU AREN'T AFRAID OF NEEDLES, HUMAN."  
~~~~  
The areas where Papyrus had jabbed you with Stimpaks still stung, but your lazer wound ached considerably less. You were very proud of your quick thinking, smirking into the campfire Papyrus had insisted on making. The tall skeleton roasted an intact box of Blamco Mac and Cheese over said fire, letting out an alarmed screech when the cardboard burst into the flames. 

"So, kid, your pretty slick." said Papyrus' brother, grinning devilishly. You noticed an iron fang protruding from his gleaming white maw. "My names Sans. Sans the skeleton. But I guess you already noticed that." You considered Papyrus a threat, yes, but as long as you played to his ego you were sure you were fine. Sans on the other hand, was a complete mystery to you. His intentions seemed mainly in favor of finding and consuming large amounts of alcohol, but there was something about his eyes that bothered you. You had feeling that he was much more than he let on. 

"I'm _____." You replied, taking in his stout form. There was a lot of power in those bones, you could tell. Sans snickered, offering a boney hand. 

"Heh, nice name pal. Say, why don't we shake hands to validate our newfound friendship?" He said roughly, the grin seemingly splitting his face in two. You didn't like the way he said 'friendship'.

You took his hand in yours, suprized when you weren't met by some sort of spike or trap. You were momentarily greatful for his mercy, until he began to crush your hand in his. You let out a squeak of pain as the skeleton doubled back in laughter, eventually breaking into a series of snorts and amused grunts.

"Holy hells that was priceless!"he said, wiping away a red tinted tear from his sockets. You rubbed your mutilated hand and bit back a curse, wondering how someone made of bones could even produce tears. "Your O.K. kid. Now besides from following us around for safety, what's a little human like you doing wandering the wastes? Didn't your mama ever tell you not to leave town?"

You glare at Sans, grimacing. 

"My mom died when I was born."you hissed. Sans seemed unfazed. "And I don't think I should go around just telling people my plans randomly."

Sans barked out another harsh laugh, taking you by suprize.

"Seriously kid? You think I'm gonna spend my valuable time tracking you down just to cut you up? That's fucking hilarious! If I wanted to kill you, your ass would already be on a silver platter." He snorted. Papyrus began to try roasting another box of mac n' cheese only for the same thing to happen. The box caught fire and the tall skeleton reacted in a fit of rage. 

"SANS, THE FIRE IS DEFECTIVE! IT KEEPS CAUSING THE FOOD TO COMBUST!" Papyrus complained, crossing his arms.

Sans chuckled.

"You gotta take the noodles out of the box first, boss." Sans replied, still smirking at you. Papyrus frowned.

"I KNEW THAT, YOU SHITLORD. I WAS JUST SAVING US SOME VALUABLE TIME." Papyrus used his claws to shred the box's top, pouring the abused noodles into the fire. Sans didn't bother helping him.

"You know you're going to have to eat that, right?"you asked, trying to distract Sans from his question. 

The skeleton only grinned wider. "Correction, YOU'RE going to have to eat that. And if you don't tell me what you're up to, kid..." one of the lights in his sockets flared a bright red, flames licking the sife of his face. "I'll tell Paps you wanna shake HIS hand."

"You wouldn't."

Your only response is Sans silent, shark-toothed grin. You sigh and raise your hands in surrender. 

"Okay, okay don't sic your brother on me." You lean back against the grocery store wall, averting your gaze from Sans'. You take a deep breath. "I'm from something called a Vault. Before the war, a bunch of people called Vault-tec built these giant shelters under ground to keep civilians safe when the bombs fell." You think about what to say next, because your father never told you how they had got there. 

"I guess my ancestors must have reserved a space or something, because I was born in Vault 101. It was supposed to open a long time ago, but our Overseer kept everyone inside to keep us 'safe'." You bitterly spit, the memory of the Overseer's blood on your hands resurfacing. 

You think you see something about Sans shift. The red bags under his eyes seem more pronounced, and you realize how fake his smile seems. But as soon as you notice it, all evidence of exhaustion dissapears. You wonder if it was just your mind projecting your own pain upon his face.

"My dad was a doctor there, until one day he disappeared. My best friend Amata shook me awake, because her father the Overseer thought I knew what happened. I didn't. He killed my dad's lab assistant and I just...snapped. I emptied an entire round in that man's head and I can still remember Amata's look of horror. I ran, and never looked back." 

You stopped to breath, and made note of how quiet Sans looked. He looked at you with silent reverence, an unreadable expression on his skull. His grin was barely the there, a shadow of his usual sarcastic one. 

"I guess I was pretty messed up, because all I remember after that is waking up in Moriarty's Saloon."

Sans broke his silence with another life, looking a bit embarrassed. 

"Heh, that's when you saw us right? When Paps drug me outta that place?" He said, trying to cover his embarrassment with a laugh. 

You nodded. 

"If it makes you feel better, I didn't think anything of it. I was so caught up in looking for clues to where my dad went." 

You are defiantly not imagining the change in Sans when you mention your father. 

"Huh. Well, where ya headin to, kiddo? Surely you got an idea where your dad went off to..." Sans says it casually, but you can hear the underlying concern. 

"...a guy that worked the counters said my dad was travelling to D.C." you say carefully. 

You have a feeling you weren't supposed to hear it, but you can just barely hear Sans mutter 'small world' under his breath. The skeleton recovers without a beat, flashing you his fanged smile. 

"Well ain't that convenient? Paps and I were just about to go lookin for a place called Underworld up in D.C." Sans says brightly. There is something illegible about his face as he turns to his brother. 

"Hey Paps, looks like our human pal is goin' to D.C. too. Ya wanna let em' tag along?" 

You're just about to interrupt when Papyrus peeks up from the campfire with a plate of charred noodle shards. He tears open the packet of cheese seasoning. and pours it all over the burnt remains. 

"ALTHOUGH I DO NOT WISH FOR ANOTHER MOUTH TO FEED... SOMEONE THAT ACTUAL ENJOYS MY COOKING WOULD BE RATHER PLEASURABLE. VERY WELL SMALL HUMAN! I WILL GIVE YOU THE SHEER JOY OF TRAVELLING IN MY PRESENCE, SINCE YOU HAVE GROVELLED FOR IT SO."

He shoved the plate of inedible food into your grasp, and looked at you with an expression of fierce conversation. Sans looked pretty pleased with himself as you shoveled a spoonful into your mouth and fought not to gag. 

It was worse than eating dirt, the noodles turned to less than ash on the fire. Somehow Papyrus had even managed to ruin the pre-packaged cheese, and you were faintly sure there were bits of glass in there as well. You swallowed and hoped that it wouldn't tear your insides apart.

"I guess it's settled then, kid, your rollin' with us!" Sans said maliciously. 

"AS LONG AS THE HUMAN DOES NOT GET IN MY WAY... I GUESS IT IS NOTHING I COULDN'T HANDLE."

You look at the monsters surrounding you and wonder how this just happened, but eventually sigh and give in. Maybe having two magic wielding skeletons watching over you won't be so bad...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if I took long. Hope a long chapter makes up for it. Plus, heres a lisst of things for you non gamersMirelurks- mutated crab monsters  
> Stimpaks- pretty much fallout healing potions  
> Blamco mac n cheese- one of the many food items  
> Raider- really bad gang dudes  
> Buffout- medicene, raises your health +60  
> Brahmin- two headed wasteland cows  
> Minigun- machine gun, but portable  
> Lazer rifle- a rifle that shoots lazers, good for sniping.   
> Energy cell- like a battery for lazer rifles  
>  And if your wondering why suddenly they seem so...well not as hostile, its BECAUSE OF SECRETS! PLOT IS GONNA HIT Y'ALL LIKE A BOMB! AN ATOMIC BOMB, THAT IS... and does Sansy know something he shouldn't??? *illuminati theme*


	5. a start of something new

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember that wd gaster tag...? Remember the fluff? REMEMBER THE PLOT??!?!

Darkness roiled around the child as they forged through the suffocating void, clutching their glowing red soul to their chest. In the distance a figure rose out of nothingness and rippled in and out of existance, hunching over in a pose of perpetual sadness. The child paused before letting out an audible sigh, the hunched figure slowly turning to look at them. It was made of solidified ooze, dripping over itself in a river of black liquid. A pale, skeletal face slid out of the gelatinous fluid and was split in two by an endless gaping maw. It let out a laugh like the bubbling of poison. 

"You dare return here, murderer?" Came a voice from deep within the creature, whatever magic generating it failing to keep it steady. The voiced warbled and popped like static, making the child cringe. 

Their crimson soul flickered as they made motions with their hands, an expression of guilt and sorrow spread across their face. The creature cocked its head, before letting forth another bubbling laugh.

"You are a confusing demon, little one. You cause such pain, and then seek to reverse it... Do you think you are above consequences?" Responded the thing, drawing nearer to the child who made frantic signs with their hands. The creature's smile faltered.

"No, I cannot just bring them back you twisted little mind." It hissed, two long white hands forming in front of it. "But you could, with that empty, cold, disgusting soul of yours."

The creature wrapped its fingers around the soul, which was pulsing nervously. The child shook its head from side to side, their face contorting into a grimace. 

"Well, if not, then why are you here, little devil? If you are not willing to sacrifice, then why have you come?" 

The child paused for a moment, and their soul began to eminate a bright pulsating light. The creature stepped back before bursting into more laughter. 

"My, you are quite the enigma... And this is the path you choose? You swear that you will never again turn to that...monster's guidance?" The creature asked carefully, taking the now burning soul into his hands once more. The child hesitated, but nodded. 

The creature, taken aback, smiled wider. With a cruel look in his sockets he began to squeeze the soul between his fingers.

"As you wish. Now hold still, this will be excruciating."  
~~~~  
Sans watched your sleeping form quietly from atop a shelf, studying the intricacies of your expressionate face. Humans were so strange, always wearing their feelings on their faces for all to see. Since his first few nights on the surface, Sans could always read human expressions. It was one of the things he was overly prideful about, how he could seemingly read the thoughts of those who interacted with him.

You tossed unhappily on the makeshift bed of cardboard, something you had cobbled together in a lazt minute crack at being comfortable. By the looks of it though, you had obviously failed. Papyrus snored a few feet away, Leaning against a wall with his minigun still held in his claws. For a night in the wastes, this was surprisingly peaceful.

He couldn't explain it, but Sans felt both good and bad about you travelling with him. Papyrus had warmed up to you almost immediately, and Sans found that oddly suspicious. His brother was not known for being kind to anyone, and certainly not a wretched human stray. And so he watched you with both contempt and wariness, along with the strange feeling of general calmness of being in your presence. 

He frowned. Why did he even ask to have you come with him? He had known you for only twenty minutes, and in the wastes trust was a dangerous thing. Not to mention the fact you were most likely going to die within the first few minutes of your journey. 

For some reason, the thought of your death made him feel uncomfortable. Human bodies are so fragile... but the thought of yours twisted and mutilated made Sans want to shriek. Maybe it was because he related to you.

After all, you were both two lost souls in a world you didn't undertand, looking for a father that had seemingly dissapeared.  
~~~~  
In the vault, sleeping in was discouraged. Ever since you turned ten, you have woken up at what you assumed to be an early start. Even still, you are suprized to wake to a piercing screech. You barely register the skeleton before as an ally, before your brain goes foggy as to why your here.

"HUMAN! YOUR NAPpING HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH! IF YOU WISH TO. TRAVEL WITH THE TERRIFYING AND MERCILESS PAPYRUS, YOU MUST LEARN TO AWAKEN EARLY!" Paprus shouts. 

Your eardrums are about to burst, but thankfully a smoother voice infringes upon Papyrus'. 

"Bro, christ, it's not even sunrise." Complains Sans, the pudgy skeleton lounging on a shelf. Papyrus pulls on some ammo belts and slings on his minigun. 

"NONSENSE, YOU INSUFFERABLE AMEOBA! SHOULD WE TRAVEL AT A BRSIK PACE AT THIS TIME OF MORNING, WE SHOULD BE HALFWAY THERE BY SUNSET!" Argues Papyrus, tossing Sans his guns, rounds, and utility belt full of tools. 

Sans groans, flopping off of the shelf and onto the floor with a reverberating CRACK. You cringe along with Papyrus, who obviously found the noise as disturbing as you did.

"YES, WELL, AT LEAST YOU ARE PUTTING IN SOME EFFORT! GET DRESSED AND I SHALL BE WAITING OUTSIDE!" 

Papyrus takes off like an eager dog, arms full of supplies and explosives. Sans makes no movement off the floor. 

"Uh, are you okay?" You ask nervously. There isn't much for you to do, as your things consist of your cloak, few Stimpaks and vault jumpsuit. 

"Just thinkin about how massively shitty this day is gonna be." Sans mutters, still remaining motionless on the floor.

"Why do you say that?" You ask, genuinely confused.

"Because your weak human ass has no fucking training whatsoever. Your gonna get blown off the face of the planet, kid, if you don't kill us both with you."

Your shocked.

"I'll have you know I beat the hell out of a whole vault gang! I can handle myself!" You say indignantly. Sans makes a noise halfway between a snort and a whimper. 

"Yeah, thats great, but I seriously doubt they had lazer pistols, attack dogs, and motherfucking Centaurs." Sans argues, but makes a movement towards one of his belts. You take that as progress.

"What are Centaurs?" 

"Oh thats just fan-fucking-tastc. Your gonna love em', kid."

After a few more minutes Papyrus comes tromping back inside, and orders Sans off the ground. The tall skeleton takes you both by the wrist and drags you outside. 

The wastes seem to get worse every day. Before you is an endless sea of dust and ruins, the frames of houses and buildings still standing defiantly againsts the harsh winds. The cool blanket of night hangs over the land, but you notice the soft, light blue glow on the far horizon. 

Both Papyrus and Sans seem enamored by the sunrise, along with yourself who can scarcely belive it's beauty. After a few moments, Papyrus regains his rough self. 

"ALRIGHT, HUMAN AND BROTHER, THE JOURNEY TO D.C. BEGINS! MAY WE ALL STRIKE FEAR INTO THE BLACK HEARTS OF OUR ENIMES!"screams Paprus into the distance. You have no doubt that anyone within a two mile radius could have heard Papyrus' declaration. Sans only looks amused.   
~~~~  
Surrounding you on all sides are mountains of garbage and stone, the gleaming ruins of what was once a proud capitol. Papyrus marches. ahead like a soldier. On your back you have a hunting rifle and a medical first aid kit, given to you by Sans who now lags behind the group.

You look around, taking in the grandure of the broken city. Torn and run down skyscrapers rise like a garden of the lost, like husks of their former glory. It is both beautiful and disturbing, that such achievements of man have been reduced to such waste. 

The silence between you and the skeleton brothers is deafening. 

"So, Papyrus, where are we going to stay for the night?" You ask meekly, unsure of whether the monster will snap at you. He doesn't even look back.

"NOT TO WORRY, HUMAN, I AM SURE THAT WE WILL FIND AN ADEQUATE PLACE TO SLEEP." He replies confidently. You can hear Sans behind you give a little 'pssh' noise. 

"So, we're just going to keep walking until we find something halfway decent?"

Papyrus pauses to look at you and sauint. "DO YOU DOUBT MY GENIUS, HUMAN?"   
You shake your head immediately. "N-no, I was just wondering."

Sans snickers.

"Are we there yet?" He asks mischievously. Papyrus sighs.

"NO, BROTHER, WE ARE NOT. I WILL INFORM YOU OF THE TIME OF OUR ARRIVAL."

"Okay...how about now?"

"BROTHER, I AM NOT GOING TO INDULGE SUCH CHILDISH BEHAVIOR."

"Are we there now?"

Papyrus gives a shriek of frustration, and Sans laughs from behind you. You can hear him jog to get closer to you, and you both share.a smirk. For some reason, this feels just as homey as Vault 101. 

"Heh, sorry Paps. Just fun to mess with ya. But I seriously have just one question."

You are trying hard not to laugh, as Sans has already degenerated into a fit of giggles. 

"SANS I SWEAR TO-"

"Are we there yet?"

All hell breaks loose as Papyrus literally begins a temper tantrum and you and Sans have begun to double over in intense laughter. Papyrus grabs a steel beam and throws is into the distance, only fueling Sans and your furious laughing. You aren't sure how a skeleton with no nose can snort so damn much. 

"YOU ARE BOTH LITTLE MORE THAT SINGLE CELLED ORGANISMS!" Papyrus fumes, stomping his boots. Sans falls onto the ground, clutching his midsection and giggling into the dirt. "YOU HAVE PROBABLY ALREADY CONTAMINATED THE POOR HUMAN WITH YOUR HIDEOUS JAPES AND TOMFOOLERY! DOES YOUR IDIOCY KNOW NO BOUNDS?!"

Sans wipes what looks like a red tinted tear from his eye socket, and looks up at Papyrus, trying his hardest to keep a straight face.

"Aw Paps -snrrk- throw me a bone here!" He shouts, shark-toothed grin nearly splitting his face. You don't realize its a pun until Papyrus collapses on the gound, looking up at the sky.

"WHY?! WHY HAVE YOU CURSED ME WITH THIS BLIGHT ON MY LIFE?!" He screams to the heavens. You try and shush them between giggles, because god knows what could be out here. You snicker before deciding to back up Sans. 

"Papyrus, please, I thought that joke was... Sans-sational."

Papyrus howls, and you earn a very pleasantly suprized face from Sans. He looks thrilled, taking a minute to stop his laughter and look at you with an expression of pure awe. 

"MY GOD, IT'S A DISEASE! SOME ONE HAVE THESE TWO LUNATICS LOCKED AWAY!"  
~~~~  
Your legs ache, and even Papyrus is staggering. Sans drags his feet, sending little dust clouds flying into the air. By now the daylight has begun to fade away, and all you see before you is the endless city.

"I thought you said we were gonna settle down soon Paps..." Sans wheezes. He doesn't even make an effort to look up. 

"YES, BROTHER, JUST AS SOON AS WE FIND A PLACE TO-" 

Gunshots tear through the air. You smell burning rubber, as people swarm out of an abandoned metro station on your flank. On their faces are cruel mockeries of smiles, as they aim their weapons at you and Sans. Papyrus has already started to lay waste with his minigun but it is to late as a bullet rips through your torso. 

"NO!" 

Sans is by your side, and as your vision goes dark you see his horrified expression.   
~~~~  
"...and so, my child returns..."

There is a voice. But you can't speak. 

"Do not fear, small one, you are safe here, at least."   
You're cold. So...so cold. This feeling...you've been here before. 

"...I wish the exchange would have worked, _____. I did not wish for a world like this..."

Exchange...?

"And you have met my son's once again...You have always been such a brave child..."

You're in pain. You want to die.

"Not yet, my dear. Go. Do not cause my sons more pain."  
~~~~  
"Paps, I thought you said we were gonna settle down soon..." Sans says from behind you, not even bothering to look up. 

Wait. You we're dead. You we're shot. How the fuck are you back here?

"PAPYRUS LOOK OUT!" You scream, as the people begin to flood out of the base. In a flash of red, a bright white lazer tears through one of the Raiders closest to Papyrus. You look behind you, and above Sans floats a draconic, bleached white skull, it's jaws slavering black goo. 

"SHIT, THEY'RE FUCKING DEMONS!" Shouts someone. With a pop, Sans is no longer behind you, but in front of you, shielding your body from an onslaught of bullets. Your mind is reeling, and you can barely see a wall of what looks like bones looming in front of Sans.

Papyrus seems to have abandoned his weapons as well, in favor for a long bone club that he is using to bludgeon the on coming Raiders. Sans picks off runanways with the skull's lazer, it's head following wherever he is pointing. 

It's almost like a sensory overload, with so much light sounds and bursts of flame. You can't make of what this is, or whether if your really dead or alive.   
~~~~   
It took less than ten minutes for the two monsters to kill every single Raider at this place. According to the flickering sign in front of the place, this was called "friendship station". The irony makes you want to laugh like a madman. You think you already are.

Sans carries you into the place, covering your eyes so you don't have to see the bodies. They are absolutely destroyed, blood, gore, and pieces of bone and lymph splattered all over the grey concrete. Or really the red concrete now.

Sans sets you down on something soft and springy, taking his hand off your face. All you can think about is the blood, and how cold his hands are.

You are in a dark tent, with bunk beds on either side. 

"Are you hurt?" He asks roughly. He won't look you in the eyes. 

"W-what was that?" You're shaking by now. Sans ignores you previous question. 

"Are you hurt?" He repeats, his voice deepening. You shake your head, eyes wide and unseeing. 

"Dammit. You motherfucking dumbass. I knew you couldn't handle it." Sans hisses, bit he looks like he's about to cry. You already are.

"They just...And you..." you stutter, unable to form the words. Hot tears stream down your face. In the vault, the worst thing thag ever happened to you was stepping on a screwdriver and getting stitches. Sans sighs, and steps away from you. 

"I'll go...if you want." Sans says quietly. You wonder how someone can look so small. You shake your head again, this time frantically. 

"Please! Don't." 

Sans meets your eyes, studying you like your some sort of alien. Maybe to him you are. He takes a few slow steps closer, and sits beside you on the bed. You lean into him, crying. 

"tomorrow, your going to learn how to fight. I can't deal with dying." 

His voice breaks. Did you really die? Did he remember? You're not sure if you want to train, but you certainly don't want to do whatever THAT was a second time.  
~~~~  
Never again. Your death replayed in Sans' mind over and over, like a broken record. The way your body crumpled...how the light left your (e/c) gaze...it made him want to grab you up and shelter you from everything the wastes had to offer... and he hated it.

When you stick your neck out for people, you get hurt. I was the common law of the wastelands. He had learned that with his friends, his father, and finally his own brother. Granted, Paps wasn't dead, but he might as well be. An idiot, that's what Sans was for letting himself care. 

Currently, you rested fitfully beside him. This little ordeal would likely give you nightmares for the rest of your life, but at least he was here to help you deal with them. 

It all made sense...almost. Sans could remember all the resets except for before the world glitched, but he knew there was a time before all this... insanity happened. But that didn't matter. What mattered was keeping you alive.   
~~~~


	6. destination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teasing Sans and traing with Papyrus  
> Maybe a little plot

Sleep was a very difficult thing to obtain, or at least tonight it was. Every time the downy refuge of sleep offered to allow you some rest, a scream or noise in the distance would pry your eyes open. You doubted anything would make it past Papyrus, but the paranoia still grated on you. At least Sans was nearby, reclining in the bunk bed next to yours and tinkering with his weaponry. The gentle sounds of tinkling metal was like a metronome for your frazzled mind. 

You saw your own death quite clearly, and that was another reason that kept you from slumber. You were terribly afraid that if you dared to sleep... perhaps you wouldn't wake up. You wracked your brain for explanations, but you found none waiting for you, and the only thing that had seemingly offered any sense was the dream you just now remembered. 

A voice had spoken to you, you were sure of it. What it said exactly was what you were unsure of, but you could just vaguely recall the word 'exchange'. It seemed to have some sort of significance, but none you were aware of.

"You still awake kid?" Sans asksd quietly, not taking his eyes off his work.

Propping yourself up with an elbow, you looked at the skeleton. He had carried you here, an act of kindness you didn't understand. 

"...Yeah. I can't sleep with all the noise." You muttered, trying not to be too loud. As if summoned by your words a few gunshots echoed through the air. You grimaced at that, and clutched the area over your heart. Guns were not the most comforting thing in the wastes right now. 

Sans sighed and set his gun down gently, slipping a wrench into his belt. 

"It gets easier after a while." He said, still avoiding eye contact. You weren't sure if he was talking about the noises or...something else. Did he remember? 

"...maybe." You responded, pulling the cloak around you tighter. "I mean, funny thing, but I coulda sworn I was dead meat...heh... Has that ever happened to you?" 

You played it off as a joke, but you could see Sans' discomfort. 

"Yeah, that's a normal thing kid. I mean, it's been sugar and sprinkles your whole life... Seein' magic and all that blood would drive anyone crazy." Sans chuckled, speaking slowly as if he was saying this more for himself than you.

"So that's what all that stuff was? Magic?" 

The white of the summoned bones clashed with the blood red of your memory. Sans hesitated for a moment, his shark-toothed grin turned upside down at the moment. 

"Yeah. Us monsters have survived mostly because of our magic. Paps and I are pretty good at bone attacks, and I can do some other stuff as well."

The way he left off what exactly he could do seemed deliberate, and you got the feeling you really weren't supposed to ask. Sans broke the ensuing silence with a tense laugh, finally restoring his usual smile. 

"Makes a pretty good subject for dirty jokes too. You have no idea how funny a well placed bone pun can be." He said lightly, allowing his dark red pupil to train it's gaze on you. You chuckled a bit.

"You don't seem like the typical comedian, but that pun you used earlier was hilarious." You said, relishing the chance to get your mind off what had happened as of late. 

Sans looked away, and you thought you saw a shade of crimson creep up on his cheekbones. You're not sure how a skeleton can blush, but you chalked it up to the aforementioned magic.

"N-nah, kid, I don't think it was funny enough to be hilarious. Maybe just amusing." He stuttered. 

He seemed flustered, sinking into his jacket shyly and crossing his arms. This Sans was so different from the rough Sans you saw on the battlefield. Was he so unused to being complemented? 

"You don't give yourself enough credit. I mean, I haven't heard you tell all that many jokes, but just from earlier I'm sure you're really good!" You pressed, the red glow on his face spreading. 

"Y-you don't know nothin' kid. I'm not that good..." Sans pouted, and you smiled knowing you had found his weakness. 

"Oh come on! Your sensational! Papyrus was freaking out, you were so great!" 

"Yeah, he was freaking out from how god-awful those puns were!" He said, his usual deep voice rising to a higher pitch.

"Bullshit, he liked them and you know it." You watched him completely loose all composure, pulling his hood over his skull and scowling at you.

"Fuck off!" Sans squeaked, and then covered his mouth in shock of his cracking voice. You burst into laughter, earning an indignant huff from the monster. The weight that had gathered in your chest lifted as you casually joked with Sans, something you weren't used to.

"You're just fuckin' with me..." he muttered, but you could see a small smirk replacing his frown. You shrugged cheekily.

"No I'm not, have you even considered the idea that you might just be talented?" 

"Shut up, end of story, not funny." 

For the rest of the night, the two of you bickered over compliments and denial, Until the pale light of the sun began to peek through the tent.  
~~~~  
Packing up went a lot faster when the skeleton brothers used their magic. Sans' eye glowed a bright red whilst Papyrus' magic was a scarlet orange. The Raider base proved to be a near endless source of supplies, adding several Stimpaks and packs of ammo to your group's arsenal. Guns and bags floated to and fro, surrounded by either a red or orange shimmer.

"This is fucking insane." You whispered, watching as a hammer in you grasp flied off into the air. Sans snickered.

"S'just magic kiddo. Don't think you've gotten out of training just because we aint taklkin' about it just yet."

All the orange items froze in their tracks as Papyrus heard the word 'training'.

"TRAINING?! YOU ARE IN LUCK, HUMAN!!! I, THE TERRIFYING PAPYRUS AM A MASTER AT ALL TUTELAGE, BUT MY TRAINING PROWESS IS UNMATCHED!" He bragged, jogging over to you and Sans. His armor was covered in bloody stains, and you noticed a few fresh cracks running along the length of his radius down to his sharpened claws. Sans caught your intimidated look and chuckled, the cardinal flames from his eyes flickering. 

"Don't worry kid, I'm sure Paps'll go easy on ya." He whispered not-so-quietly. The taller monster looked offended. 

"NO I MOST CERTAINLY SHALL NOT! THE TERRIBLE PAPYRUS DOES NOT HOLD BACK, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO NEED HIS WISDOM AS DEARLY AS _____ DOES." he sniffed, putting his hands on his hips. "I WILL SPARE NO EXPENSES IN MY TRAINING, SO YOU SHOULD BETTER BE PREPARED, HUMAN!" 

You scowled at Sans as Papyrus trudged off, organizing his weapons by size and deadly-ness. 

"You did that on purpose." You hissed at Sans, who shrugged noncommittaly. 

"Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. Paps is right though, you're way too sensit-" Sans' sockets widened, and his sentence fell short. He abandoned your side to run to one of the makeshift counters, grabbing something in his arms fervently. 

"OH HELL YES!" He whooped, turning around to show off his prize. A half finished bottle of Scotch was clutched in his hands, the amber liquid flashing in the morning light. 

"OH HELL NO, BROTHER, YOU ARE STILL GROUNDED FROM THE DEATH JUICE!" Papyrus shrieked from afar. Sans gave him the bird and stuffed it into his coat. 

"Fuck you, bro, you're not my dad." He yelled back, and to demonstrate his defiance took a massive swig of the Scotch. 

"BE THAT AS IT MAY, WE DO NOT NEED YOUR DRUNKARD ASS STUMBLING ABOUT AND ALERTING OTHERS TO OUR POSITION." Papyrus growled back. For a moment both brothers were silent, Papyrus breaking the silence with a loud sigh. "AT LEAST WAIT UNTIL TONIGHT TO PARTAKE IN THE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, BROTHER." 

Sans thought about this for a moment, and then agreed.  
"Yeah, fine Paps. Whatever." He said bitterly, hiding away the alcohol in his jacket. Papyrus turned away from Sans and approached you, his eyes dull. 

"Carry the medical supplies human." He ordered, uncharacteristically quietly. Papyrus handed you belts full of Stimpaks and a few bags of other meds, that ceased their glowing the moment they touched you.

You and the brothers moved out shortly after that, Sans keeping close to you, and Papyrus staying further ahead. Neither monsters make an effort to explain exactly where you're all going.

"Hey, Sans, what path are we taking?" You ask quietly, the skeleton looking up at you. 

"See that canal there?" He responds, pointing to a dark grey slice in the land. Surrounding the curling river, however, are massive piles of rubble and broken fences and buildings. "If ya follow the water, we'll make it to the Washington Monument, whatever the fuck that is. All I know is that its tall, white, and has a pool in front of it. From there we'll go East, to this building called the Museum of History."

Sans sounds defeated, his voice lacking the sass you've come to associate with his personality. You frown, unsure of whether to mention it. 

"Are you feeling alright?" You asked softly, looking down at your feet in case the skeleton decided to snap at you. All you were met with was a sigh.

"S' nothin' kid." Sans murmured. You saw him looking out into the desolate ruins, as if he saw something you didn't. You knew he was lying to you but decided to drop the issue.  
~~~~  
Although the skyscrapers shielded you from most of the sun, the heat was still unbearable. Your formerly untouched skin was burning by now, you were sure. By now you had wrapped your cloak around your shoulders and head, trying your hardest not to go up in flames. 

"You look like a walking garbage bag, kid." Sans said from beside you, his sarcasm returning. You frowned.

"Thanks asshat. How the hell are you not burning up in that coat of yours?" You retaliated. Sans burst into laughter. 

"I don't know if you noticed buddo, but I'm a skeleton. I don't feel heat like you bundle of nerves do." Sans explained, his good mood obviously returning. 

"Lucky." You muttered under your breath, crossing your arms and scowling at your monster companion. Sans began to laugh again.

"Shit, and you've lived your whole life in an air conditioned hole, haven't you? Holy hells, you must be on fire!" He said mischievously, giggling at your expense.

"I'm glad my suffering amuses you." You said angrily. 

"ALRIGHT, YOU CHILDREN, ENOUGH." Papyrus chided, interrupting your arguing. Sans raised his hands in surrender, giving you a grin. You flipped him the bird.

"I SAID ENOUGH!" Papyrus yelled. 

Ignoring the faces Sans was making at you, you began to take in the scenery, studying the intricacies of the ruined buildings. Eventually it evolved into a little game you played in your head, involving using your imagination to restore the buildings. You made stories about what it was like pre-war, when cars would be rolling down the same broken road you were traversing. It made you a bit sad, actually. So many lives were lost to nuclear war, and so caught up in your ruminations were you that you didn't notice the canal you nearly fell into. 

You felt a thin hand wrap around your arm and jerk you backwards harshly.

"Kid you would have fallen right into that fuckin' canal. Pay attention." Sans scolded you.

"Huh, sorry. I just kinda spaced out there."You said sheepishly. Sans sighed.

"Yeah no kidding. You know what happens when you space out? You get shot, or you fall into canals like an idiot." Sans retorted, his voice growing rougher. You looked away, a flush of embarrassment overtaking your face. 

"ARE YOU TWO TROGLODYTES FIGHTING AGAIN? I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL TURN THIS FUCKING CIRCUS AROUND IN A HEARTBEAT." Papyrus said, stomping up to where you both were. Sans released your arm and picked his smile up without a beat. 

"Nah bro, the kid was gonna fall into the canal, just thought I'd tell 'em what's what." Sans replied casually. Papyrus narrowed his eyesockets. 

"JUST KNOCK IT OFF, ALRIGHT? I CAN'T CONCENTRATE WITH YOUR CONSTANT BICKERING." He warned, and then returned to leading the way. 

"So is this the canal you were talking about?" You asked Sans, as you all began to move again. The monster nodded, staring into the murky water. 

"Yep. Look, don't get me wrong, I would've loved to see ya chunk yourself into the water and get soaked, but seeing as to how the radiation would've fried you, and you were carrying all our meds, I just thought it be a good idea to let you live." He smirked, enjoying your reaction. 

"T-the water is radioactive too?" Your jaw dropped. 

"Oh yeah. All that shit in the dirt, trash, rain, and pretty much everything else dumps into that swill. It's pretty damn irradiated. Sometimes you even find mirelurks in there." 

Dispite the fact you had no idea what mirelurks were, you doubted you wanted to find out. You eyed the canal warily, stepping around the other side of Sans. He chuckled at this.  
~~~~  
As the sun began to lower into the horizon, Papyrus made sure to secure a good place to sleep. Declaring it was Sans' turn to keep watch, he claimed that he couldn't drink tonight and had to save it for tomorrow. You hated the way Sans' face fell, but you were relieved he wasn't going to get drunk.

You sat by the fire Papyrus had summoned and watched the sun paint the sky a deep orange that faded into a gorgeous spectrum of blue.and pink. 

"You know, I could keep watch one night." You said politely, Papyrus taking his focus off the fire to look at you.

"THAT WILL NOT BE NECCICARY HUMAN. I WOULD GREATLY PREFER SOMEONE EXPERIENCED TO WATCH ME AS I SLEEP INSTEAD OF A SMALL MORTAL, ALTHOUGH THE ENTHUSIASM IS APPRECIATED." He replied, patting your head like you would a dog. 

You were both quiet for a few more minutes, before you piped up again.

"Well maybe you could train me? I'm pretty good with a bb gun." You suggested. When you were ten, your father had fixed an old bb gun for your birthday. You had shot with fantastic precision three bull's eyes in a row. The look on your father's face... his smile still brought tears to your eyes.

"ALTHOUGH A BB GUN WOULD BE UNDENIABLY USELESS, I WAS GOING TO TRAIN YOU ANYWAYS. WE AREN'T DOING ANYTHING CURRENTLY... PERHAPS I SHOULD START NOW! _____! WHICH WEAPON DO YOU WISH TO MASTER?" Papyrus demanded, seemingly bursting with enthusiasm. He stood up flamboyantly, his scarf catching the wind and causing you to giggle.

"I don't really know, Papyrus. How about, um, the lazer rifle?" You suggested. Papyrus had other plans.

"LUDICROUS! ALTHOUGH THAT WEAPON IS GREATLY APPRECIATED BY MY LAZYBONES BROTHER, IT DOES MINIMAL DAMAGE! YOU WILL LEARN THE WAYS OF THE NOBLE SLEDGHAMMER, AN INSTRUMENT OF DESTRUCTION I HAVE COME TO RELY ON MANY TIMES!" He said excitedly, scuttling off to retrieve his sledge. Papyrus returned shortly with the massive hammer held tightly in his claws, a wide grin making his face so much less terrifying.  
"HERE! SEE IF YOU CAN HOLD THIS." Papyrus ordered, dropping the heavy weapon in your arms. 

After initially falling over, you managed to get a good grip around the handle and barely held it up. Papyrus seemed pleased, clapping his gloved hands in pleasure.

"VERY GOOD HUMAN! YOU HAVE MANAGED NOT TO FAIL MISERABLY!"

The tall skeleton studied your form for a moment, and then walked behind you and took your wrists in his phalanges. Your upper back pressed against his chest as he demonstrated how to swing the sledgehammer, showing you how to hold it without breaking your arms. You made a sweeping motion with the monster supporting your frame, but you didn't notice he had let you go until you made your own movements easily. 

"I did it!" You said triumphantly, looking at Papyrus who nodded at you.

"YES, YOU DID INDEED. PERHAPS YOU AREN'T AS USELESS AS I FIRST ANTICIPATED! IF YOU WORK YOUR BACK MUSCLES LIKE THIS EVERY DAY, YOU SHOULD PROGRESS RATHER FAST." 

You basked in his praise, suprized to get a complement out of such a contrary monster. 

"HOWEVER, A CLOSE RANGE WEAPON REQUIRES A HEFTY SKILL IN ARMORY..." Papyrus said, turning an orangy color. He cleared his non existent throat. "HUMAN... WOULD YOU ALLOW ME TO TURN YOUR SOUL BLUE? THE INCREASED GRAVITY SHOULD PREPARE YOU FOR HEAVY ARMOR."

You furrowed your brows. 

"My soul? Blue?" You asked, the words sounding oddly familiar. Papyrus turned a deeper orange, rubbing his cervical vertebrae in embarrassment. 

"Y-YES, YOUR SOUL. EVERY HUMAN AND MONSTER HAS ONE. TURNING IT BLUE WOULD MAKE YOUR BODY SEEM HEAVIER, AND THEREFORE PREPARE YOU FOR HEAVY ARMOR." He explained quickly. Seeing Papyrus flustered was very entertaining. 

"Yeah, sure." You said softly, hoping it might make Papyrus less nervous. It seemed to work, as his blush faded.

"VERY WELL _____, I SHALL TRY TO BE GENTLE." Papyrus assured. 

His socket seemed to catch fire, as an orange flame sprung to life in his skull and danced on his claws. Papyrus reached out, as if he was going to grab something, and made a fist. 

You felt something squeeze your chest, like a hand around your heart, and watched in awe as a glittering emerald heart appeared in front of your chest, soft green tendrils of flame tasting the air. 

A sense of overwhelming dread crashed down on you, turning your vision black before dropping you in a place you had never been before. 

The atmosphere was not nearly as harsh, as shimmering blue lights flew above you and strange white flakes whipped at your face, the sudden cold turning your cheeks an irritated red. Papyrus still stood before you, but his fangs and outfit had changed along with the scenery. 

He smiled mirthfully, a hand on his hip bones and a bright red scarf fluttering in the frigid breeze. The same heart floated in front of you, but was drenched in a royal sapphire. 

"That's my special attack!" The other Papyrus chirped, "You're blue now!"

And just as soon as the vision had come, it dissapeared, the wasteland surrounded you again, along with one annoyed Papyrus. 

"HUMAN! THIS IS NO TIME FOR BOONDOGGLERY. TRAINING IS VERY IMPORTANT." He said impatiently, flames still lighting up his eyes. You shook your head. As much as you wanted to think this over, Papyrus would likely throw a tantrum if you didn't do as he asked.

"Sorry, just thought I saw something." You said quietly. Papyrus didn't respond, as he summoned a long, blue bone in front of him. 

"HUMAN, DO NOT MOVE AND THIS ATTACK SHALL DO YOU NO HARM. STAND COMPLETELY STILL." He instructed, and with a tossing movement sent the bone spinning right at your soul. It took all your strength not to run, as you stood there and allowed the bone to come at you, it bluring your vision as if you were under water. You shivered as your soul began to ripple and abandon it's green burn for a deep blue. 

As if mimicking the  
Papyrus in your vision, the monster placed his hands on his hips and flashed you a fanged smile. 

"THAT IS MY INCREDIBLE BLUE ATTACK!" he said proudly. And as if you hadn't noticed added, "YOUR BLUE NOW." 

A crushing weight seemed to push you down, like gravity had grabbed hold of your body and wasn't going to let go. You wheezed under the new heaviness, your lungs struggling. 

"DO NOT FIGHT IT, _____, LET YOUR BODY ACCEPT THE EXTRA WEIGHT." Papyrus instructed, his voice loud but gentle.

After a few more heavy breaths, you gave yourself up to Papyrus' magic. Instead of being crushed like you had anticipated, a burning strength spread through your muscles and pumped adrenaline into your now boiling blood. The sledge in your grasp barely felt like a stick.

"GOOD, HUMAN. YOUR PROGRESS IS PLEASING." Papyrus aknowlaged. "I'M GOING TO SEND SOME ATTACKS AT YOU, ALRIGHT?" 

You nodded, suddenly itching for a fight.

"Let me at 'em" you said with a smirk.

With no further words, and with a puff of smoke, a wall of thin bones took their place in front of Papyrus and causing you to tighten your grip on the sledge. The skeleton pointed at you, and a single bone shot at you. 

As if some feral creature seized control of your body, you instinctively ducked and grabbed the magical bone, launching it back to it's sender making use of the muscles in your back. You could feel the energy in your blood, a powerful feeling you had never experienced. Papyrus easily dodged the attack.

Before he could engage you again, you began to tear over to him, using the extra weight to dig your boots into the ground and boost your speed. Papyrus gave a suprized noise as you swung at him, but recovered and grabbed the sledge you wielded. You lashed side to side, but Papyrus had years of experience over your raw power.

Pushing the handle into your stomach, Papyrus grabbed the collar of your jumpsuit as you lurched forward, slamming you into a wall with great force. Copper welled at your lips, blood leaking from your mouth. 

"I WAS SUPRIZED YOU WOULD TRY SUCH A STRAIGHTFORWARD APPROACH, HUMAN." Papyrus commented. It was like your mind was not your own, as the only thought in your head was 'fight'.

With great a heave, you got up out of the dirt, waiting for Papyrus to make the first move. The skeleton began a charge, his claws flashing in the dimming light and calculating where he would be, you used his height against him and ducked again, driving the sledge as hard as you could into his ribcage. There was a loud crack, and Papyrus fell backwards and clattered to the ground. 

You dropped the sledge in horror, running over to your companion. He grabbed at what looked like a broken rib, jagged cracks running all through his his sternum.

"Papyrus! Oh my god I'm so, SO sorry!" You sputtered, hands ghosting over the broken rib. 

To your suprize, Papyrus gave a barking laugh, sitting up and staring directly into your eyes. 

"THAT WAS VERY GOOD, HUMAN! IF I WASN'T COMPLETELY HOLDING BACK ON YOU I MIGHT ACTUALLY BE IMPRESSED!" He rumbled. You barely noticed the blood dribbling down your chin, as your eyes filled with tears. 

"I-i hurt you! Papyrus I-" 

The monster held up a hand, using his other claws to wipe away crimson from your face and hush your words. 

"BEING BLUE NOT ONLY MAKES IT HARDER TO MOVE, BUT GIVES THE SOUL EXTRA OF THE NEGATIVE OF ITS USUSAL TRAIT. SINCE YOUR GREEN SOUL STANDS FOR KINDNESS, THE BLUE POWER OVERCHARGED YOUR NORMALLY GENTLE SOUL WITH BLOODTHIRSTY RAPTURE. WHAT ENSUED WAS PERFECTLY NORMAL, _____. I AM ACTUALLY SUPRIZED YOU AREN'T ATTACKING ME NOW." He explained, his fangs curling in a grin. You sat back and sighed. 

"Jesus Christ Papyrus..." you said to him. Ever so casually, the skeleton snapped off the broken rib, the bone splintering off into sharp shards. You jumped. 

"H-HOLY SHIT! YOUR RIB!" You exclaimed. 

He only gave you another laugh, standing up and stretching. Pink marrow began to drip from the wound.

"IT IS NOTHING, HUMAN. DO NOT WORRY YOUR LITTLE HEAD OVER MY WOUNDS. PAIN IS SIMPLY WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY, AND SINCE I FELT NO PAIN, I HAVE NO WEAKNESS!" Papyrus said cheerfully, rubbing the marrow away. You blinked.

"BESIDES, IF I JAM A STIMPAK IN IT IM SURE IT WILL BE FINE."  
~~~~  
Papyrus released his hold on your soul a few minutes later, leaving the beautiful green to retake it's rightful place. You found yourself lost in it's fires, unsure of how to put it back in it's home your chest. Papyrus sat close to you, coaxing a fire to come to life in a bed of old shredded newspapers.

"DO YOU NEED ASSISTANCE HUMAN? I WOULD THINK YOU'D KNOW HOW TO PUT YOUR SOUL BACK IN." Papyrus said from beside you. You nodded, still quiet after what had happened. 

He seemed to notice your stillness, and after pushing your soul back into you with his magic, smacked your spine. 

"Ow, what was that for!?" You asked, frowning at the big skeleton. 

"I CAN SEE YOU AGONIZING OVER THE DAMAGE DONE TO MY RIB, _____. DO NOT THINK I AM UNAWARE OF YOUR PETTY HUMAN FEELINGS." Papyrus said pointedly, earning a flush of embarrassment. 

"Yeah, sorry about that." You apologized. The monster let out an enormous sigh. 

"NO, _____, YOU SHOULDN'T BE. ALTHOUGH I AM SURE YOU THINK I AM AFFECTED BY THIS MINOR LOSS, ALLOW ME TO EASE YOUR MIND." Papyrus retorted. You looked up at him. "SAY YOU HAD BEEN THE TUTOR, AND I HAD BEEN THE INEXPERIENCED STUDENT. ME, BEING THE PITIFUL AND SMALL CREATURE THAT I AM, GOT CARRIED AWAY WITH THE MAGIC I WAS NOT USED TO. SAY BY SOME MIRACULOUS TURN OF EVENTS I ACCIDENTALLY CAUSED YOU HARM THAT YOU BARELY EVEN REGISTERED. AND NOW I AM SULKING BECAUSE I MADE A SMALL MISTAKE IN MY OTHERWISE FLAWLESS PREFORMANCE. WOULD YOU NOT ASSURE ME THAT THIS SMALL WOUND DID NOT EVEN INCONVENIENCE YOU?" 

You thought about this for a moment, looking at his bare and cracked ribcage forlornly. 

"I guess I would." You said finally. If Papyrus was upset, you would've tried to comfort him. The skeleton gave your head another pat.

"INDEED. SO NOW YOU ARE ENLIGHTENED AS TO WHY I AM NOT TEARING YOU TO LITTLE HUMAN CHUNKS." 

You both fell asleep not long after that, trusting that Sans would keep you safe and that you could rely on one another. Under the cover of stars and Darkness you began to feel like you belonged, as the hum of Papyrus' magic lulled you to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The negative magic thing is a headcannon I have for the underfell universe, so if your wondering why the magic was wierd...why not  
>  i think Paps would respect a reader with some spark, and end up bonding with them quicker. Plus sans not able to accept a complement is adorable


	7. instight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two brothers prove they arent as heartless as they seem

The dying sun painted the long hall a deeply saturated gold, as a shadowed figure stepped out from behind one of the steep support pillars. The pearlecent white of his skull contrasted with the tattered red scarf he wore sloppily tied around his cervical vertebrae, as he looked out into the seemingly empty hall with a blank stare. From a door at the very end of the structure stepped out a small human, a pulsing red heart-shaped locket adorning their plain sweatered garb. The child clutched a knife to their side half-heartedly, studying the skeleton adjacent to them. 

"If you just move it'll be over with." They said, a certain weariness in they're voice that made them sound ancient. 

The skeleton replied with a sigh, the same tired tone reflected in his response. 

"Don't work that way brat." He said dryly, the scarf fluttering in a non existent breeze. Even still, the skeleton made no motion to stop them. The child stepped forward, their bootsteps echoing through the stagnant air as they lazily flexed the wrist that wielded a glittering knife. 

"Lets just get this over with."  
~~~~  
The dream left a sour taste in your mouth, as you awoke once again to Papyrus' ranting. Although his boisterous voice was impossible to sleep through, you were sure he wasn't yelling at you, and so in a stroke of genius you pretended to be out cold in order to properly collect your previous thoughts. 

"SANS FOR CHRIST SAKES, THERE IS LITERALLY NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THEM. WE ARE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO PRESS ONWARD, EVEN IF IT MEANS RISKING OUR SAFETY. "

Was it even a dream? The golden hall... that kid's red eyes... why was it all so vivid? From the way the human's hair parted to the tiny dings and cracks on their locket, every detail was burned into your brain.

"Look, Paps, you know the brotherhood doesn't take kindly to our sorry asses. What are we going to do if we run into super mutants AND those self-righteous lackeys? What about the kid?"

The brothers were distracting you from your thoughts. Speaking of the brothers, wasn't Sans in your dream as well? You fought the urge to toss in your makeshift bedding, trying to remain silent. Why would you be dreaming about Sans?

"THAT'S PRECISELY IT, SANS, THE HUMAN IS MUCH MORE VOLATILE THAN YOU THINK. IF YOU DON'T STOP CODDLING THEM, THEY WILL SURELY MEET A SWIFT END! CAN THE HUMAN NOT CONVINCE THEIR BRETHREN TO LET US PASS?" 

Wait, they were talking about you...You were suddenly glad you sleept in. For a moment, you decided to put away your dream concerns. 

"No, they CAN'T, because the damn kid's just a kid. They'll be swiss cheese before they can get a word out, if the super mutants don't tear 'em to shreds." 

You tried not to grimace, wishing Sans would give you more credit. Did he really think you so weak? Probably, considering how he's saved you multiple times now.

"I SAY WE MOVE OUT. _____ WILL BE FINE, SANS YOU DOTING FUCKER, AND I DON'T CARE IF THE WHOLE BROTHERHOOD OF STEEL ARMY IS OUT THERE!" 

Oh Jesus. Your nose began to itch, and you could feel a sneeze growing. 

"Papyrus, Underworld ain't going nowhere." 

Please no- your mouth involuntarily opened. 

"UNDERWORLD MIGHT NOT BE ON THE MOVE, BUT FATHER CERTAINL-" 

The loudest noise you have ever mustered echoes through the hollowed building, more of a war cry than a sneeze. Your eyes snap open to see two very suprized skeletons staring at you. 

Papyrus is the first to react, smoothly covering up his previous anger with a cough. 

"H-HUMAN! PLEASE TELL ME YOU HAVE NOT JUST EXPLODED AND HAVE BECOME RADIOACTIVE." He asks cautiously, taking a step back from you. From a guy who snapped off his rib without a second thought, his uneasiness is amusing. Dispite yourself, you laugh.

"No Paps, I just sneezed. It's something humans do to keep diseases out." You say nonchalantly. All of you are silent when you realize the nickname that slipped out. Shockingly, Papyrus doesn't rip your head off. 

"I KNEW THAT SHITLORD." He said in embarrassment, crossing his arms. "REFRAIN FROM DOING IT IN THE FUTURE." You are suprized to hear no true venom in his voice. 

Papyrus stalks off without a word to his brother, ignoring the both of you and grumbling to himself and packing up. Sans refuses to look at you.

"How much of that did you hear?" He asks quietly. 

You debate on whether to lie, but decide against It.

"All of it." You said sheepishly. Sans turned a soft pink color. 

"Great." He muttered. The skeleton took off, readying his bottle of Scotch until somehow Papyrus caught wind of his plan. 

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Papyrus growled. Sans' loud snarl of exasperation was all you needed to tell it wasn't going to be the greatest day.  
~~~~  
"HUMAN, FRONT AND CENTER!" 

Sans was already outside, and had been avoiding both of you all morning. Even though he had gotten told off by Papyrus, you still weren't sure why he was so shaken by you hearing him talk about you. You jogged up to the tall skeleton who seemed pleased by your quick reaction, reaching down and giving your head a soft pat. 

"Need somethin' Paps?"   
You asked politely. 

It seemed this was your new routine, he patted you head and you called him by the nickname without reprimand. Had anyone bothered to ask, they would learn you were relieved by the near friendly exchange. 

"ACTUALLY-" Papyrus cleared his throat. "Actually, I Would Like To Speak To You About Something."

You raised an eyebrow as your heart picked up speed. Papyrus brought his voice to a whisper and looked around shiftily.

"A group of humans known as the Brotherhood of Steel are known to frequent this area, and they are very well equipped with instruments of the monster killing nature." Papyrus explained slowly, looking you dead in the eye with his empty sockets. "My brother Sans believes that you are Unfit for the line of duty. He says you are fragile and will die easily. On most occasions, I would tell him TO SHUT HIS TRAITOROUS MOUTH... but I have grown concerned for your mental safety. Without proper reason you will be unable to carry our things after all."

You smiled. Papyrus actually cared...

"And so I, being the tactical mastermind I am, have devised a brilliant plan to keep our items from an inconvenient destruction. Underworld, or so I have heard, is located within reasonable distance of a structure known as a Mall. You are to travel with my lazybones brother in this mall close enough to enter Underworld. Sans knows the way, so you should be fine. Understood?"

You cocked your head and your smile flattened. 

"What about you?" You asked simply. Papyrus seemed taken aback by your concern.

"Me? I shall be fine without any of you to fret over. I enjoy a slaughter first thing in the morning, like a refreshing jog. Now any objections?"

Before you could say a word Papyrus ushered you out the door. 

"No need for interjections, human, I know you see my plan as pure genius. Nyah hah..." 

It was the first time you had heard Papyrus laugh, and it was a little anticlimactic. You had expected a manic cackling but it was more of a soft-core huff. Outdoors was still as rough as ever with Sans doing little to brighten the atmosphere. 

"So squirt, you're going with me right?" He asked, still not looking at you straight. With a kind smile you walked to his side. Sans shied away.

"Uh huh. Good luck Papyrus!" 

Papyrus was already on his way off, minigun out and ready for battle. 

"YOUR PETTY WORRIES ARE APPRECIATED HUMAN, ALTHOUGH I SHALL SURELY NOT NEED THEM."   
~~~~  
You had seen malls in old pre war movies, but witnessing the real thing destroyed took all the joy out of the encounter. Sans, who had seemingly recovered from whatever embarrassment he had suffered, noticed your sagging shoulders and tried lightening the mood. 

"You okay kid? You look like you're about ta 'Mall' over." He punned, causing you to sigh. 

"It's just... sad. When you go home and everything is destroyed... well...In the vault we grew up in the old world, if that makes sense, and this... is a very different feeling." 

Sans offered you a less-sarcastic-than-usual smile. 

"I feel ya, kid. Let's get on our way before somethin' comes and clobbers us." 

If the mall exterior was shit, the interior was easily hammered shit. The marble tiles had long been ransacked while random and molded wares were scattered all around the filthy shopping floor. Even Sans cringed at the few dusty skeletons that still clutched old boxes and tattered bags in a death grip, while you nearly fell over. 

"Jeez I can't wait to see what new friends we'll make in here." Sans muttered, running his skeletal palm over his skull. You swallowed thickly.

"Y-yeah. Which way do we go?" 

The monster merely grunted, readied his lazer rifle, and made a bee-line for the ancient escalators. 

"Be quiet. Least from up here I'll have an advantage." He said impatiently. You closed your mouth and began to follow him, treading lightly over the bits of broken glass and tin until you had made it to the second floor. A horrible smell began to waft through the air and when Sans shouted a curse you jumped.

Before you lied a fresh corpse, still pink with life, and oozing blood from multiple bite and scratch marks on their torso. Their face had been chewed off, makeing you unsure of whether it was male of female and from a massive gash in the dead wanderer spilled ravaged and half eaten entrails. Sans pushed you away from the corpse and in a bright crimson flash it was gone. Your stomach churned uneasily. 

"Fuck, shoulda known there'd be ferals in here." Sans hissed, squeezing his sockets shut. "You okay kid? I don't know if this shitholes' as safe as Paps thought." 

"I-i can take c-care of m-m-m-myself." 

Your teeth chattered and you fought the urge to retch, although you were sure nothing would come up. Food had been scarce. Sans rubbed his face, grabbing your wrist to steady you.

"Kid, look, I don't know if you should be out here. If you keep getting the shakes from blood I'll just have to take you back to mega-" 

"No!" You cut him off, wrenching your wrist from the skeleton and staring at him defiantly. "I can't go back, I have to find my dad! Y-you wouldn't understand. You've been strong your whole life."

You hated the way your voice broke and you willed yourself to be stronger. Sans was silent for what seemed an eternity, his expression unreadable while the sounds of shuffling and broken pipes punctuating the soundness atmosphere. 

"Fine." He murmured. "Your funeral. If I see ya so much as flinch at the Ferals, I'm sending you right back to where you came from." 

He turned and began to stride down a hall to the left, his sockets devoid of light. 

"What... what kind of ferals are we talking about?"   
Sans sighed. 

"Kid, _____, do you wanna know why I asked you to come with us?" He asked out of the blue, kicking open a random door and surveying it for anything valuable. Although the skeleton brothers weren't the typical scavenger, you had learned a while back they liked to sift through junk for useful miscellaneous items. 

"Yeah, why? I just figured it was to, I dunna, exploit me for some sort of pack-mule." You said truthfully. Sans snorted despite the lack of a nose. 

"Well, yer partially right." He answered shortly. "I wanted ya to come with us because... you remind me of me."

"I'm not sure whether to take that as a compliment or not." You joked. 

"More or less buddy. Truth is, we're lookin' for our dad too. Fella was a scientist like yours. Disappeared after the first monsters got turned inta' slaves." Sans explained, satisfied that the room didn't have any hidden treasure. He continued on, motioning for you to follow. "S'names Gaster, and he high tailed it outta there when me n' Paps were barely babybones." 

"That's awful." You replied. Suddenly it made sense why Sans had been so kind to you. "But why's Underworld somewhere you think he'd be?" 

"Honestly, I don't he'd go there of free will. Heard a rumor that a monster who speaks in hands was pokin' around the ghoul city. My old man spoke in sign language, hands were kinda his callin' card. Paps wants to find him because he loves the guy. I just wanna give 'em a piece of my mind, ask the asshole why he thought it be a good idea to leave two babybones alone in the fucking wastes." Sans spat, as the two of you entered a relatively open area, a broken fountain adorning the very centre. 

"Hold up, I don't like the look of this place."

You both came to a stop, and tensed as a wet snarl pierced the silence. A horribly thin, human-like creature covered in boils and scabs slunk out of the darkness, stalking its way to Sans who was looking in the other direction. 

"SANS!" You screeched, and on pure instinct shoved your fist into the area where its slavering jaws were snapping. The force was so powerful that creature's head tore off it's neck with a crunch, landing a few feet away in a pile of bloody goo and brain matter. Sans' eye combusted red, and the draconic skull you had seen earlier let loose a beam of white. It tore into the torso of a creature behind you, this time causing it to evaporate on the spot. 

"Are those ferals?" You asked Sans, looking incredulously at your own knuckles. They tingled unpleasantly. 

"Yeah feral ghouls, and as much as I appreciate you being all valiant and savior-like, you can't fucking touch those things _____! They'll irradiate the shit out of you." Sans fumed, but it came from a place of concern. 

When you promply began to freak out, Sans grabbed your hand and jammed a needle of unknown origin into it. You squeaked in pain until you noticed the tingling's dissapearence.

"That was Rad-Away, and you better not make me waste another one anytime soon. They're fuckin' hard to come by." Sans said harshly. He reached into his coat pocket and produced a small pharmaceutical bottle filled with tiny pills. "Take two of these. This'll keep ya from fryin' like a piece of bacon." 

You crunched the pills between your molars, wincing in distaste at the bitter flavor. Sans did the same, his sparp teeth making short work of the medicine. 

"Do you even need those? I thought monsters were made of magic." You stated.

"I wish, kiddo, but my bones are matter. Magical matter, but still made of stuff that can be irradiated." 

You understood a little, as your father had done his best to pass on his legacy of science. 

"Keep an eye out of more ferals, but don't touch 'em for god's sakes. Just tell me if you see one."  
~~~~  
You had made it out of the Mall alive and near the museum of history just as Papyrus had promised. Only a few ferals had crossed your path, but Sans assured you there were a whole lot more than that. Papyrus had shown up not long after that, brandishing around trophies of war (such as bloody bones and one human head) excitedly. 

"HUMAN -and sans- YOU HAVE ARRIVED UNHARMED! I SAW MANY POSSIBILITIES WHERE YOU RETURNED IN PIECES, BUT MY BRILLIANT MILITARY GENIUS HAS PROVEN TRUE ONCE AGAIN!" He screamed, rushing up and inspecting your small form. Sans merely chuckled.

"We were nearly in pieces when those ghouls came after us, bro. You led us right into a ghoul hive." Sans contradicted. Papyrus squinted at him.

"OH WELL. YOU'RE SAFE NOW ARENT YOU? AND BESIDES, YOUR TRIVIAL TRIALS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN NEAR AS TROUBLESOME AS THE SUPER MUTANTS I ENCOUNTERED." Papyrus argued. "THERE WAS A WHOLE ARMY OF THE STUPID THINGS, JUST WALTZING INTO THEIR DEMISE! REALLY _____, THOSE DIMWITTED IMBECILES WERE NO MATCH FOR MY RAW PROWESS!"

You smiled at Papyrus' excessive boasting, glad to be reunited with the powerful monster. And honestly, it scared you how he had dismantled such a powerful force. 

"Alright you two kids, we need to get going. Those super mutants aren't going to wait 'till tomarrow to kill us."

Papyrus gave a pained noise, and you elbowed Sans in the ribs. You pulled a joke from the depths of your brain.

"Hey Sans, why did the skeleton hate the monkey?" You asked. 

"Hell if I know, lay it on me."

"Because it drove him Bonenanas!"

Papyrus punched a nearby wall while Sans gave a barking laugh.

"Good one kid."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literally have to write this in 1500 character chunks on memo, would've been longer had it not been for the fact I forgot the ghoul names for Underworld.   
> LEAVE comments ♡


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